Ball finishing device



June 8, 1943. so -1M 2,321,162

BALL FINISHING DEVICE Filed July 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Shed 1 49 INVENTOR flZ/red L- 5071211 I BY/.

A TTORNEY- June 8, 1943, SQHM BALL FINISHING DEVICE Filed July 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A1; a L $32 ATTORNEY;

Patented June 8, 1943 BALL FINISHING DEVICE Alfred L. Sohm, Van Nays Calif.

Application July 29, 1942, Serial No. 452,700

' i 6 Claims.

This invention relates to means and methods for refinishing the surfaces of balls and especially bowling balls. The device is arranged in a cabinet having a drop door with a pocket thereon adapted to receive the ball to be refinished. When the door is lifted for closing, the ball rolls into the cabinet and is arrested by a carrier ring which -automatically lowers the ball to a refinishing chamber when the door is closed.

Upon closing of the door, and upon receipt of the proper coin in a coin slot, the ball is rapidly rotated in contact with surface cleaners and rubbers which thoroughly polish the surface of the ball. An automatic timing device allows the refinishing work to continue for one or more minutes and then opens the power circuit to stop operation. The operator, noticing that an indicator light is oil. opens the door and receives the newly polished ball upon the door where originally deposited.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to present a ball refinishing device that is simple in construction, fully automatic and economical to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a fully automatic device for thoroughly refinishing balls which is convenient and safe to use, and which has an inviting appearance.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description, the preamble of these specifications and the appended claims.

Applicant is about to illustrate and describe one of the forms of his invention in order to teach one how to make and use the same, but it is to be understood that the drawings and description thereof are not to limit the invention in any sense whatsoever, except as claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevational view of the cabinet which houses the principal part of the invention.

Fig'. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partlyv in section, taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 2 but shown on a larger scale,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 4, and on a scale in agreement with Fig.4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plate part of the invention shown on a small scale.

Fig. '7 is another perspective view of a ring part of the invention, shown on a small scale.

limited by the appended Fig. 8 is a. power roller shown in vertical section on a scale a little larger than Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the ball guide shown on a small scale.

Fig. 10 is a schematic showing of the electrical circuit employed in the invention.

The cabinet for housing the working parts of the invention comprises a decorative front wall' I, top wall 2, side wal1s3 and 4, and bottom wall 5- upon which is mounted one of the important parts of this invention. The cabinet may or may not have a back wall. Near the top of the cabinet is supported a shelf 6 and in the intermedi ate section is supported a shelf I having a hole 8 which is large enough to pass a regulation size.

bowling ball, such a ball being indicated at 9. The front wall of the cabinet has a doorway "I which is closable by a door ll having the handle l2. The bottom end .of the dooris hinged to the cabinet so that when the door is lifted to close it, any ball resting thereon will roll into the cabinet.

Upon the top surface of the door II (when open) is a guide block l3 that is securely fixed to the door. This guide block has a pocket It into which a small portion of theball 9 will fit, this pocket serving as a temporary holder forthe ball.

Opening from the pocket is a groove l5 which guides the ball onto a ring l6 where the balls motion is arrested. This ring is of sumcient size to hold the ball and also to pass around a power roller I1 so that the ball will rest upon the roller when the ring is lowered beneath the' top thereof. This ring is controlled by. the motion of the door, the ring lowering when the door is being closed, and rising when the door is being opened, full opening of the door tilting the ring sufficiently to cause the ball to roll therefrom and enter the pocket l4.

The ring l6 has opposite under portions thereof welded to the ends of a pair of spaced apart L- shaped brackets, the brackets being indicated by the numerals l8 and IS. The ends of the long legs of the brackets I8 and I9 are pivoted to the tops of spaced apart standards 20 and 2| respectively, the bottoms of the standards are bent to form flanges or feet which are securely screwed to the shelf 5. The brackets are held in spaced apart relation by the bars 22 and 23, the bar 22 being the pivot bar for the brackets, and the bar 23 being adjustably placed along the brackets andthe guide block at 25. So that the ring willnot fall too fast when carrying a ball, a dash pot 28 is provided and extends through a hole 5' or the shell. I. This pot having the usual adjustable vent valve 21 and is securely mounted'to the cabinet shelf 5 by the bracket 28 through a pivot joint 29. The pot has the usual internal piston from which extends the rod 30, the top end of which is coupled to the brackets by a cross member unit 3|. So that the door will close auto-. matically when unloaded and unattended, a coiled tension spring 32 is provided, one end of which is fixed to a rod 33 extending from the door, and the other end to'a staple 34 in the front wall I.

When the ring is at its lowermost position, the ball rests upon the roller ll; this roller comprising a pair of abutting frusto-conical elements that form a wheel 35 which is fixed to a shaft 36 as clearly shown in Fig. 8. In the valley of the .wheel 35 is an annular V-shaped pad of sponge rubber 31 which is covered by a casing of soft leather 38. asshown. The shaft 36 is joumalled on the blocks 39 and 40 and coupled to an electric motor 4|. When the motor is energized, the wheel ll spins and rapidly rotates the ball because of the friction between the ball and the wheel casing 38.

The surfaces of the ball are reconditioned by the bristles of the curved brushes 42,- these brushes forming a ring around the ball, the diameter of the ring is of a size so that the bristles of the brushes contact the surface. of the spinning ball. Although brushes are shown, it is within the scope of applicant's invention that other means may be used to abrade and polish the surfaces of a ball.

The bodies of the brushes are held between the shelf 1 and a spider ring 43 by bolts 44 which,

are threaded into the ring. The ring is supported well above the floor 5 by posts 45 which are screwed into the spider-ring at 46. The feet of these posts are secured to the floor 5 by screws.

A panel or-connector 'block 41 is attached to two of the posts and is used for supporting electrical elements such as a transformer, fuses, etc.

The electrical circuit for controlling the operation of this invention comprises the main feeder wires 48 and 49 with a hand switch 50. A transformer is indicated by 5| wherein the high side is connected with the mains 48 and 49 which are at the usual alternating current lighting potential of 110 volts to 115 volts. The low side of the transformer has a potential of only volts and its wire terminals are connected with a time switch 52, door switch 53,.coin slot switch 54 and the coil winding of a relay 55; all these named elements are connected in series so that the motor 4| will not operate thepower roller unless all these elements are electrically closed. The motor 4| is fed from the mains 48 and 48 by wires 56 and 51' which pass through the relay switch contacts.

The plunger in the relay winding or coil 55 cannot close the motor switch unless all the other switches, 52, 53 and 54, are closed. When there is a proper coin in the slot to close switch 54, and the door switch 53 is closed, the coil in the timer switch 52 is energized and this switch determines the length of time the motor 4| willoperate. Opening of the door will automatically stop the motor, however, this would not ordinarily occur during the operation of the motor, but should be provided for in the event the door is opened prematurally so as to avoid injury to the operator in the event he puts his hands into the cabinet.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: v

1. In a ball finishing device having a structure forming a ball chamber, a ball surfacing means in the chamber, power means in the chamber for rotating the ball, carrier means for transferring a ball from the top of the chamber to the bottom thereof,- and vice versa, a cabinet with a doorway for housing the device, a door for said doorway hinged to the cabinet, said carrier means including a ring connected with the door and operated by. the opening and closing of the door.

2. In a ball finishing device having a structure forming a ball chamber, a ball surfacing means in the chamber, power means in the chamber for rotating the ball, carrier means for transferring a ball from the top of the chamber to the bottom thereof, and vice versa, a cabinet with a doorway for housing the device, a door for said doorway hinged to the cabinet, said carrier means including a ring connected with the door and operated by the opening and closing of the door, said ring extending above the door when it is fully open, and below the top of the power means when the door is fully closed.

3. In a ball finishing device having a structure forming a ball chamber, a ball surfacing means in the chamber, power means in the chamber for rotatingthe ball, and carrier means for transferring a ball from the top of the chamber to the bottom thereof, and vice versa, a cabinet housing said recited parts, a doorway in the cabinet, a door for said doorway hinged to the cabinet, said carrier means including a ring connected with the door and operated by the opening and closing of the door, electrical means for operating the power means, said electrical means being controlled by a coin switch, a time switch and a door switch so that the power means will be inoperative when one of the switches is open.

4. In a ball finishing device having a structure forming a ball chamber, a ball surfacing means in the chamber, power means in the chamber for rotating the ball, and carrier means for transferring a ball from the top of the chamber to the bottom thereof, and vice versa, a circle of rubbing elements at the top portion of the chamber and a power roller at the bottom portion of thechamber, said carrier means including a ring connected with the door and operated by the door so that the ring will lower-a ball through the center-of the rubbing elements and seat it on the power means when the door is closing, and raise the ball from the power means and up through the center of the rubbing elements when the door is opening.

5. A ball finishing device, a cabinet housing the device, a doorway in the cabinet having a door that swings vertically, said device having a circle of brushes and a power roller beneath the center thereof, a ring connected to the door and raised and lowered thereby, a ball pocket in the door having a ball guide leading to the brushes, said door and ring so related that when the door is raised a ball can roll onto. the ring. and be lowered by the ring through the center of the brushes and onto the power roller.

6. The device and.cabinet recited in claim 5 wherein the door has a switch operated thereby so that when the door is closed the power roller is operated, and when the door is opened the power roller stops.

ALFRED L. SOHM. 

